Wisconsin governor calls for special legislative session to address abortion ban
The Wisconsin governor has called members of the Wisconsin Legislature to meet in a special session later this month.
Gov. Tony Evers is calling for the Legislature to convene on Wednesday, June 22 to repeal Wisconsin’s dormant criminal abortion ban due to the United States Supreme Court looking at overturning Roe v. Wade.
As previously reported, Wisconsin is among multiple states which have abortion bans predating Roe that would presumably take effect almost immediately after a formal Supreme Court reversal of the case.
A Wisconsin law that was enacted in 1849 bans most abortions, but statutes include exceptions to save a mother’s life and allow mothers to abort their own fetuses.
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Republican legislators, who are not obligated to take any action during the special session and control both the state Senate and Assembly, have ignored other special sessions that Evers called asking them to take action on issues such as gun control, increasing school funding and sending rebate checks to taxpayers.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the Senate would not take any action in what he called “another blatantly political special session call from this partisan governor.”
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos didn’t immediately issue a statement Wednesday but has previously said he’d like to see exceptions for rape and incest if the state’s abortion ban takes effect.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.